Highland Defender

Kathryn Le Veque

Jan 2021 · Scots and Swords Book 2 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

Gladiator meets Fight Club in the Scottish Highlands in this thrilling Highlander romance series from USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Le Veque!

Ashamed of a decision he made in battle that cost good men their lives, the dark Highlander Bane Morgan escapes to Edinburgh to forget his past. But the more time he spends away from his Highland home, the more he's filled with regret and despair.

Lucia Symington knows something about despair. Forced to work off a family debt for a clan with little moral compass and a particular hatred for her, Lucia loses herself a little more each day. When a chance meeting with Bane gives them both a glimpse of what their future together could be, Bane pledges himself to the Ludus Caledonia, the warrior training club where he can reconnect to the fire for justice that still burns within him. The Highland Defender has returned...only to discover that his quest to free his lady could cost them both everything...

"Gripping, impassioned romance."—Tanya Anne Crosby, New York Times bestselling author, for Highland Gladiator

Ratings and reviews

Loving this series of fierce highlanders with heart! After a chance meeting where Bane saves Lucia from a group of thieves, they both find their lives quickly entwined. Lucia is stuck working off a family debt with an abusive family, and Bane is running from the mistakes of his past. They both have some obstacles to overcome as Bane fights at the Ludus Caledonia to earn money to pay off Lucia's debt and free her. Entertaining read and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Highland Defender by Kathryn Le Veque. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them. Highland Defender is a well-written novel, and Ms. Le Veque’s descriptions gave me enough information without keeping me from using my imagination. I could actually see in my mind’s eye the arena, and the crowds of cheering people. I could hear the clashing swords. She is also a master of the dialogue that is unique to the highlands of Scotland. Lucia Symington is the heroine, and she has a true nurturing nature, which she shows toward the young boy in the tale. She’s loyal to her friends and watches out for them. Even though she serves a self-centered lady, she doesn’t bemoan or complain. She’s the true lady. I love this arche type, so Lucia greatly appealed to me, but let me say, in no way is she weak. She’s a determined, strong woman, a protector. Bane Morgan is the hero, and he is a true warrior. He also has a wounded soul. For me that is always a winning combination! Although he’s at an extremely low place when he meets Lucia, he quickly realizes her worth, and that helps him return to life, making him willing to do whatever he needs to win her heart. I loved the chemistry between Lucia and Bane. It’s so much more than the physical attraction. There is a truly strong emotional connection between them. The love scenes are beautifully written, focusing more on their emotions than the physical, and I enjoyed them a great deal. If you enjoy historical romance set in the medieval period with compelling characters and an emotionally charged plot, then you will love Highland Defender as much as I did. For the last year, I’ve been reading less historical romance novels, and this book has me questioning why. I look forward to reading more novel by Ms. Le Veque. Happy reading!

Oh, I love Bane and Lucia so much! What a wonderful medieval story! Instantly captivating, this tale gives us an emotionally lost hero just looking for a reason to live. He finds it in the strong yet humble Lucia, a woman who bravely submits to a truly despicable mistress in order to honor her late father's obligations. Told in four parts, this story takes us from the streets of Edinburgh to the expansive Meadowbank manor and then to the Ludus Caledonia, a gladiator school funded by gambling and other forms of patronage. The men who run the fight guild are men of honor, and they readily give Bane a new purpose as well as the means to rescue Lucia from her situation so they can both be free to marry. The romance was nearly instant yet stayed beautifully within the expected historical norms. Lucia's not merely a damsel in distress, she's fully capable of participating in her own rescue once she knows there's a way out. Bane is as protective as his Highland Defender name implies, a man built for valor and chivalry with a heart as big as the land. I loved the way the story reconciled Bane's past with his present, and the tender chemistry he shared with Lucia made their HEA as sweet as can be. I'm looking forward to reading more in this fascinating series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

About the author

With over 100 published novels, Kathryn Le Veque is a critically acclaimed USA Today bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance. Kathryn is a multiple award nominee and winner, including the winner of Uncaged Book Reviews Magazine "Raven Award" for Favorite Medieval Romance and Favorite Cover. Kathryn is also a multiple RONE nominee for InD’Tale Magazine, holding the record for the number of nominations. In 2018, her novel WARWOLFE was the winner in the Romance category of the Book Excellence Award and was also a finalist for several other awards. Kathryn has also hit the USA Today Bestseller list more than 15 times. In addition to her own published works, Kathryn is also the President/CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, a boutique publishing house specializing in Historical Romance, and the President/CEO of DragonMedia Publishing, a publishing house that publishes the Pirates of Britannia Connected World series. In July 2018, Kathryn launched yet another publishing house, WolfeBane Publishing, which publishes the World of de Wolfe Pack Connected series (formerly Kindle Worlds). Kathryn is considered one of the top Indie authors in the world with over 2M copies in circulation, and her novels have been translated into several languages.